Page 148 of Betrayal and Vows

“Don’t I fucking know it,” Dmitri scoffs. “This one tempts death. Always has.”

“Does Leonid know?” Anton asks.

“No.” My mother smiles softly. “Men never see what’s right in front of them. You hid in plain sight. Very smart, but very dangerous, Anton.”

“I want to kill Vadim.” Anton’s voice is matter-of-fact. “I will kill him.”

“Does Dad know about the house in Spain?” I ask.

“No. He can never know. One day, I will leave. Maybe he’ll be dead, maybe not. For now, I have to stay.”

"Your husband is going to betray you," Anton says bluntly. "Lenoid has been making deals behind Vadim's back. Moving money, selling information. Vadim knows. He has marked your entire family for death. He was going to do it after the wedding."

My mother's face goes pale, but she doesn't look surprised. "I know."

"You know?" I stare at her. "Mom, if you know Dad is?—"

"I've been moving money too," she interrupts. "For years. Small amounts, different accounts, different countries. I knew this day would come."

Anton leans forward, suddenly interested. "How much?"

"Enough to disappear forever. Enough to start over somewhere safe." She looks between us. "Enough for all of us."

My mother—the woman I thought was trapped, helpless, bound by duty and fear—has been planning her own escape all along.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whisper.

"Because it was too dangerous for you to know. If you'd known what I was planning..." She shakes her head. "You're a terrible liar, Lena. Always have been."

Despite everything, I laugh. It's true.

"The accounts are in Switzerland," she continues, pulling a small piece of paper from her coat. "Bank information, passwords, everything you need. There's enough to live comfortably for the rest of your lives."

Anton takes the paper, studying it carefully. I watch his face, see the wheels turning.

"You don't have to do this," he tells her quietly. "You could come with us."

My heart swells. He's returning the favor she gave him thirty years ago—a chance at life.

"No," my mother says firmly. "If I disappear now, they'll know I helped you. They'll hunt you forever. But if I stay, if I play the grieving mother whose daughter was murdered by her kidnapper..." She looks at Anton. "They might eventually stop looking."

"Mom—"

"This is the only way, Lena. You know it is."

I do know it. And I hate it.

"Besides, someone needs to be here when your father's house of cards comes tumbling down. I want to watch Vadim tear him apart piece by piece."

The venom in her voice surprises me. My mother has been playing a much longer game than any of us realized.

I can see a million thoughts running through Anton’s eyes. He looks at Dmitri and I swear they just had a whole conversation without uttering a single word.

"No," he says finally, his voice deadly quiet. "I'm not running to Spain like some coward while Vadim and Mikhail are still breathing."

"Anton—" I start, but he cuts me off with a look.

"I'll get you to safety, Lena. I'll make sure you're protected. But then I'm coming back to finish what I started."